Eric Spenser Jokisch was originally signed by Stan Zielinski…graduated from Virginia (IL) High School in 2007…attended Northwestern University, where he was a 2010 First-Team All-Big Ten selection, the 2008 All Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.
2017
Began the season at Double-A Jackson and went 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in one start before he was transferred to Triple-A Reno April 12…spent the remainder of the season with the Aces and was 8-8 with a 4.21 ERA in 28 games, 21 starts…combined with both clubs for a 4.09 ERA…his 29 games pitched were his most ever as a minor leaguer (had 26 games with Iowa and four games with the Chicago Cubs in 2014)…ranked fourth in the Pacific Coast League in ERA (4.21) and fifth in opponents batting average (.267)…was ninth in the Diamondbacks farm system in ERA (4.09)… allowed a .267 opponents batting average with Jackson and Reno, including .251 (93-for-370) by right-handed hitters and .299 (52-for-174) by left-handers…surrendered seven of his 13 home runs to lefties for a .500 slugging percentage…had a .359 slugging percentage against righties… his opponents batting average increased to .279 with runners in scoring position…opponents were 5-for-14 (.357) with a grand slam and 13 RBI with the bases loaded…yielded a .227 batting average and .287 on-base percentage to batters leading off an inning…was 7-4 with a 4.57 ERA in 17 games, 15 starts, at the All-Star Break…then went 1-4 with a 3.29 ERA in 12 games, seven starts, after the break…was 6-4 with a 4.53 ERA in 18 games at home, 2-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 11 contests on the road…compiled a 2-3 record and a 5.86 ERA in nine day games compared to 6-5 with a 3.32 ERA in 20 contests at night…was 8-8 with a 4.36 ERA in his 22 starting assignments…had a 1.42 ERA in seven relief appearances and did not allow a home run in 12.2 innings… stranded all three of his inherited runners…compiled a 4.81 ERA over innings one through five… had a 1.48 ERA from the sixth inning on…opponents were successful in 9-of-15 (60.0%) stolen base attempts with him on the mound…went 0-for-19 with two walks and 14 strikeouts as a hitter…his teams were 12-10 (.545) in his starting assignments…tossed at least five innings in 20 of his 22 starts.
MINORS: Started the season at Jackson and had a no decision in the Generals 8-7, 10-inning loss to Birmingham April 8 (6.0 ip, 6 h, 1 r, 1 er, 6 so, 1 hr)…was transferred to Reno April 12 and spent the remainder of the season with the Aces…had two starts and two relief appearances in April at Triple-A and logged an 8.53 ERA…had season highs in runs (9), home runs (3) and walks (4) April 30 against Fresno but had a no decision in an 11-10 win…won each of his first three starts in May (4.91 ERA) but then lost three consecutive starts from May 24 to June 3 (9.60 ERA, .382 opponents batting average)…that was his longest losing streak of the season…yielded seven runs on a season-high 12 hits in 5.0 innings in an 11-3 loss to Sacramento May 29…tossed a season-high 7.0 scoreless innings in a no decision at Tacoma June 8…it was his first of five outings with 7.0 innings…then won four consecutive starts from June 14 to July 2 for his longest winning streak of the season…compiled a 1.46 ERA and .176 opponents batting average during the streak…did not allow a run in back-to-back starts on June 25 against Tacoma and July 2 at El Paso as part of a 16.2-inning scoreless streak from June 19 to July 8…made five consecutive relief appearances from July 14 to 25 (9.0 ip, 6, h, 1 r, 1 er, 3 bb, 3 so) before returning to the starting rotation for good July 30…went 1-4 with a 3.77 ERA over his final seven starts…was 1-1 with a 1.82 ERA and .205 opponents batting average in eight games including three starts, in July…combined on a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over Sacramento Aug. 16…tossed 7.0 innings, allowed two of the hits and struck out a season-high nine (1 bb).
2016
Played for four different teams in three different organizations and was a combined 3-2 with a save and a 4.00 ERA in 27 games, including six starts…allowed a .291 opponents batting average, including .264 by left-handed hitters and .306 by right-handers…however, allowed three home runs in 87 at bats against lefties compared to two home runs in 160 at bats against righties…opponents hit .300 with runners in scoring position…was 1-2 with a 6.66 ERA in his six starts, 2-0 with a 2.96 ERA in 21 relief appearances…allowed 5-of-10 (50.0%) inherited runners to score…went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts as a hitter…began the season at Triple-A Iowa and was the losing pitcher in his only start on April 9 at Round Rock (4.1 ip, 11 h, 8 r, 8 er, 2 bb, 3 so, 2 hr)…was claimed off waivers by Miami April 13 and optioned to Triple-A New Orleans… went 2-0 with a save and a 2.64 ERA in 18 relief appearances with the Zephyrs…did not allow a run over a six-game stretch from April 25 to May 24 (10.0 ip, 8 h, 6 bb, 6 so)…was on the disabled list from May 7 to 14 with a back strain…was 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in eight games in June before he was transferred to Double-A Jacksonville June 29…pitched once for the Suns, a start and no decision on July 1 against Tennessee (4.0 ip, 2 h, 5 so)…the five strikeouts were a season-high…was traded to the Texas Rangers for Pedro Ciriaco July 8 and was assigned to Triple-A Round Rock… compiled a 1-1 record and a 4.13 ERA in seven games, including four starts, with the Express… tossed a season-high 5.0 innings in back-to-back starts July 23 at Colorado Springs and July 29 against Omaha…was on the disabled list from Aug. 4 to 16 with a strained right calf…tossed 5.0 scoreless innings for the win in his final outing of the season, a start on Sept. 3 against Memphis (2 h, 2 bb, 2 so).
2015
Eric Jokisch went 5-4 with a 4.37 ERA (34 ER/70.0 IP) in just 14 starts with Iowa, missing more than two months of the season with injuries ... made three rehab outings with rookie league Mesa, posting a 0.79 ERA (1 ER/11.1 IP). Was placed on the seven-day disabled list, April 17, with a left hand injury and reinstated, April 28 ... was again placed on the seven-day disabled list, June 10, with a right abdomen strain ... was not reinstated until August 13. Made three-straight quality starts with Iowa, May 4-15, going 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA (3 ER/18.0 IP) during that stretch. Lefties batted .270 (20-for-74) off the southpaw while righties batted .296 (61-for-206). Earned PCL Pitcher of the Week honors for August 24-30 ... allowed just one hit and no runs in 6.0 innings, August 24 vs. Fresno, collecting the win in the Cubs 9-0 shutout win ... in his following start, he tossed a 7.0-inning complete game, August 29 vs. Sacramento, allowing one run on five hits in the I-Cubs 5-1 victory.
2014
Eric was a September call-up to the Cubs and made his major league debut...The Northwestern alumnus recorded a 1.88 ERA (3 ER/14.1 IP) in four games (one start) for Chicago following a strong Triple-A campaign with Iowa in which he ranked second in the Pacific Coast League with 143 strikeouts...Selected from Triple-A Iowa, September 2, and made his big league debut, September 7 vs. Pittsburgh...Allowed one run in 4.1 innings out of the bullpen...Became the first Cub to allow one or fewer earned runs in at least 4.1 relief innings in his major league debut since Ben Johnson, September 6, 1959 at the Dodgers (game 2)...Made his first career start, September 26 in Milwaukee ... allowed two runs (one earned) in 4.0 innings...Walked four and struck out two in the team's 6-4 win...Went 9-10 with a 3.58 ERA (63 ER/158.1 IP) and a complete game shutout in 26 starts for Iowa ... struck out 143 batters and walked 31...Besides his 143 strikeouts ranking second in the PCL, his 158.1 innings ranked third and his 3.58 ERA ranked fifth...His 1.17 WHIP and 1.76 walks per 9.0 innings pitched were fourth-lowest in the league...Tossed a 7.0-inning complete game shutout, July 30 at New Orleans ... allowed just three hits, walked one and struck out six...Posted a 2-0 record and a 1.78 ERA (6 ER/30.1 IP) in five July starts...Was 4-2 with a 2.16 ERA (14 ER/58.1 IP) in his final 10 starts with Iowa, July 4-August 25.
2013
Spent the entire campaign with Double-A Tennessee, going 11-13 with a 3.42 ERA (61 ER/160.2 IP) and 137 strikeouts in 27 games (26 starts) … set career marks in wins, complete games (two), innings and strikeouts ... led the Southern League with 160.2 innings pitched ... Ranked second in the Southern League with 137 strikeouts … his 137 punchouts led the Cubs farm system ... Named Cubs Organizational Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April, going 3-1 with a 1.84 ERA (6 ER/29.1 IP) in five April starts for the Smokies ... Began the season with four-straight quality starts, April 6-22, going 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA (3 ER/24.1 IP) and 20 strikeouts during the stretch ... Struck out a season-high nine hitters in 6.0-scoreless innings of work en route to picking up the win, July 4 vs. Huntsville ... Landed on Tennessee's seven-day D.L., July 29-August 6, after spraining his cervical spine ... In his first start off the D.L., he tossed a no-hitter as Tennessee blanked host Jacksonville, 10-0, August 6 ... Of the 13 balls put into play, nine were groundouts and four fly outs … it marked Tennessee's first no-hitter since Mark Holliman accomplished the feat in a 7.0-inning, 3-0 victory against Huntsville in 2007 … Jokisch went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and a RBI at the dish ... Marked the Smokies' first 9.0-inning no-hitter since Scot Elam in 1985 ... Was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 5-11.
2012
Split the season between Single-A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee, going 10-6 with a 3.11 ERA (55 ER/159.1 IP) and 115 strikeouts in 27 games (26 starts) ... Began the season at Daytona, going 3-4 with a 3.48 ERA (21 ER/54.1 IP) in nine starts before being promoted to Tennessee in late May ... Was named the Florida State League Player of the Week for May 7-13, going 2-0 while tossing 13.0-scoreless innings in two starts ... Punched out a season-high 11 hitters in 7.0-scoreless innings of work, May 6 vs. Jupiter ... Went 7-2 with a 2.91 ERA (34 ER/105.0 IP) in 18 games (17 starts) with the Smokies ... Was 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA (5 ER/31.2 IP) in his first five starts with Tennessee ... Tossed his first-career complete game, July 30 vs. Pensacola, allowing three runs on five hits in 7.0 innings.
2011
Spent majority of the campaign with Single-A Peoria before earning an August promotion to the Double-A level for the first time … combined to go 10-3 with a 3.09 ERA (46 ER/134.0 IP) with 118 strikeouts in 28
games (14 starts) with Peoria and Tennessee in his first full pro season ... Allowed 13 home runs while walking only 41 hitters in 134.0 innings ... Began the season in relief with Peoria before transitioning into a starter in June … went 7-0 with one save and a 3.20 ERA (20 ER/56.1 IP) in 14 relief appearances ... Went 2-3 with a 2.74 ERA (19 ER/62.1 IP) in 11 starts with the Chiefs ... Promoted to Tennessee, August 16 … went 1-0 with a 4.11 ERA (7 ER/15.1 IP) in three starts before being sidelined with a shoulder injury ... Landed on Tennessee's seven-day D.L., August 31-September 22, with a left shoulder strain.
2010
In his first professional season, Eric went 2-3 with a 6.88 ERA (27 ER/35.1 IP) and 31 strikeouts in 15 games (seven starts) with Rookie League Mesa and Single-A Boise.
